Latch.



B. R. CRAMPTON.

LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2, I917.

Patented July 23, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l mu, m c

Patented July 23, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. R. CRAMPTON.

mpn. APPLICATION FILED NOV. \Z, 19H- Patented July 23, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

latclrillustrating its application.

of autoi'nobiles and other vehicles.

BASIL .R. CRAIVIPTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LATCH.

Application filed November 12, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BASIL R. CRAMPTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in latches and more particularly to that type of latch adapted for use upon the side doors One object of the invention is to provide a latch of this type that keeps the door under tension while it is in closed position thus obviatingany objectionable rattle of the door. A further object is the provision, in the latch itself, of a safety feature whereby the accidental opening of the door caused by pressure upon the same is obviated. A cli'urthcr object is to provide a latch that is of simple construction, eflicient in operation and cheap to manufacture.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view theinvention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my improved Fig.2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the movable parts in altered position. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the" vehicle door and through the frameblock employed, oart of the latter being broken away to ailord a better illustration, the latch being shownin side elevation.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the movable parts in an altered position.

Fig.5 'is a fragmentary view of the door jamb showing, dotted, the keeper and the latch-bolt entering or lcavingthe same.

Fig.6 is a similar View but with the'latchbolt locked in engagement with the keeper. Fig. '7 is a perspective View of the keeper. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the vehicle and its door, from the inside, illustrating the application of thelatch.

Like reference characters denote corresponding partsthroughout the several views. My latch comprisesa base plate 1 secured to the door frame A which is formed with a leg'2 terminating in a curved lip 3, and with a lateral flange 4 bent at right angles to "the plate 1 proper. From the platel Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1918.

Serial No. 201,529.

a tongue 5 is formed, leaving a perforation 6 in the plate, and bent into parallelism with the flange -11, said flange and tongue being themselves formed with alincd perforations whereby the collars 7, 8 are formed which serve as bearings for the latch-bolt 9 which extends through the block 13 and beyond the said flange 4 and is formed with a bent extremity 10. The said latch-bolt 9 is.carried by and movable with ithe'cam l l which is contiguous to the tongue 5 and is formed with the rounded :nose 12 that normally'projects into a slot 13 formed in the plate 1 upon the far side of the tongue 5 with .relation to the perforation 6. The said cam 11 is formed, further, .with a shoulder 14 adapted, in one positionof said cam,:to bear against the base plate 1. The said cam 11 is formed with an edge recess 15 to receive a prong of the hand lever to be hereinafter described and is tapered toward onc endand there formed with the laterally extending heel 16 which is formed with ZLIIOtCh l7 and which terminates in the finger 1S bent at right angles thereto.

A tension bar 19 extends through a perforation 20 formed .in the lip 3 and terminates in a head 21.notched foricngagement with the notched portion 17 ofthevsaid lug 16. An expansionspring 22encircling the said tension bar abutsithe said lip 3:and the bar-head 21 tokecp said bar audits connections continually under tension. .The perforation 20 .in the lip 3 is sutliciently large to permit a rocking or oscillating movement of said tension bar as well as a reciprocating movement of the same. The said bar 19 is capable of an oscillating movement from side to side of a plane which would cut the latchbolt and the perforation 20. (This movement of the said tension bar is synchronous with and causedby movement of the said cam 11 which member is guided in its movement by the said tongue Sanda 111g 23 formed upon the said plate 1. I

To the said base plate .1, ,I secure ahand lever 24 upon a fulcrum 25,0110 011(l10f said lever extending above the plate 1 and extending out thronghan opening in the door lining 26 and throughthe escutcheon plate 26 and carrying'thehand grip 27, theiopposite end of said lever terminating in prongs 28, 29, the latter prong :being disposed :at right angles to the levenand adapted for-engagement with the said finger 18 and the former prong 28 being adapted for moveyieldingly retain the prong ment in the cam-recess 15 and for engage ment with the nose 12 of thecam 11. lug 30 formed upon the saidlever is formed with a notch 31 to receive the head 32 ofa A plunger 33 which extends through a perfora; U

ward the base plate 1 until said finger would engage the said prong 29 which would arrest this movement and effectually prevent opening of the door. Normally the door is opened by movement of the lever 24' which will move the prong 29 out of the path of movement of the finger 18 at substantially the same time the prong 28 rotates the cam 11. When manual pressure upon the lever is removed the spring 35 will return it to normal position.

The body portion of the vehicle is formed witha flange '36 in a rabbeted portion of which akeeper 3'Z- is secured by the screws 38, the said flange 36 receiving the rabbeted portion 39 of the door frame A.V The keeper 37 is identical with that shown in my United States patent on locks, No. 1211549, issued J an. 9, 1917. When the door of'the vehicle is slammed shut thebent end 10' of the bolt9 strikes the curved wall of the keeper 37' asshown dotted in 'Fig. 5 and the impact moves said bolt into the position shown'in Fig. 6 thus locking the bolt and keeper in engagement. The position of the tension bar 19 and spring 22 at this time are'shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the tension bar yieldinglyretaining the cam and latch bolt in the position shown. To release the latch-V bolt the lever 2-1is manually moved into the positionshown in Fig. 2 thus moving the latch-bolt back to the position shown dotte'diin' Fig. 5, compressing the spring 22 and moving the tension barbeyond the center line of the latch-bolt and perforation 20 when 5i the tension of said bar will yieldingly retain the movable elements in open position. The

l 1 In a latch compri latch-bolt is'now withdrawn from its keeper as the door is opened.

What is claimed'is V 'sing'a keeper having a curved wall, a'baseplate formed with a lateral flange, ja latch-bolt journaled'in said flange and" formed .With' a bent termination for engagement :Wltll the curved wall of the said keeper, a cam fast upon said'latch-bolt and formed witlra shoulder for engagement withsaid base plate, a heel integral with saidcain, a finger integral with said heel, a tension bar movablylcarried by said base plate and connected'to said heel, a hand lever fulcrumed to said base plate for operative engagement with the said cam, a prong formed upon said lever and normally Vdis; posed in the path of movement of the said finger, aiid means connecting said lever and the said base plate whereby said lever is yieldingly retained in a predetermined or normal position. V

2. .In a latch comprising a keeper having a curved wall, a base plate formed with a lateral flange, a tongue bent from said base plate into parallelism with said Vflange, a latch-bolt journaled' in said tongue and flange and formed with a bent termination for engagement with the curved wall of the said keeper, a cam fast upon, said latch-bolt and formed with a shoulder for engagement with said base plate, guide means for said cam formed upon said base plate and spaced away from the said tongue, a heel integral with said cam, a finger integral with said heel, a tension bar movably carried by said base plate and operatively connected to said heel, a hand lever fulcruined to said base plate for operative engagement with said cam, means connecting said lever andthe saidlbase plate whereby said lever is yieldingly retained in a predetermined or normal position, and a prong formed 7 upon said lever and disposed in the pathof movement ofsaid finger while said cam is in jengage ment With'said ba'se'plate and during the normal position of the latter member.

ioo

' 3. In a -latchcomprisinga 'keeperhaving a curved wall, a base plate formed witha lateral flange, a tongue bent from said base plate into parallelism with said flange, a latch-bolt journaled in said tonguefand flange and formed with-a; bent termination for engagement with the curvedwall ofthe said keeper, a cam fast upon said latch-bolt capable of engagement'with thesaid'base plate, tensioning means for. said" cam con its iio

necting the same and the said base plate, a

hand lever fulcrumed to said baseplatefor engagement with said cam, means connectingsaid base plateaiidthe said hand-lever whereby the latter is yieldingly retaine'din normal position out of engagement with said cam, and meanscarried .by saidlever and cam wherebyindependent movement of V said cam,'in one position of the same, with respect to said lever is limited. 7

4. In a latch'comprising a keeper having l a curved wall, a perforated base plate formed with a lateral flange, a tongue bent from said base plate into parallelismwith said flange, a latch-bolt movably disposed in I said tongue and flange and formed with a bent termination forgengagement with the curvedwall of the said keeper, a cainfast V r upon-said latch-bolt and havinga nose adapted to register with one of the perforations in said base plate and a shoulder adapted for engagement with the said base plate, a heel integral with said cam, a finger integral with said heel, a tension bar connecting said base plate and heel, a lever fulcrumed to said base plate for engagement with said cam, a springpressed plunger connectin said base plate and the said plunger whereby the latter is yieldingly retained in normal position out of engagement with said cam and a prong carried by said lever and disposed in the path of movement of said finger while said cam in engagement'with said base plate and while said lever is in normal position.

5. In a latch comprising a keeper having a curved wall, a base plate formed with a lateral flange and with a perforated terminal lip, a tongue bent from said base plate into parallelism with said flange, a latchbolt movably carried by said tongue and flange and formed with a bent termination for engagement with the curved wall of said. keeper, a cam fast upon said latch-bolt and formed with a shoulder for engagement with said base plate, a notched heel carried by said cam, a finger integral with said heel, a spring-pressed bar connecting the notched portion of said heel and the perfo 'ated portion of said lip, said spring-pressed bar being capable of oscillating movement from side to side of a line-of-centers connecting said latch-bolt and the perforated portion of said lip a hand lever 'l'ulcrumed to said base plate and adapted for actuating engagement with said cam, means connecting said base plate and said lever for yieldingly retaining the latter member in normal position out of engagement with the said cam and a prong carried by said lever and disposed in the path of movement of said finger while said cam is in engagement with said base plate and said lever is in normal position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of a subscribing witness.

BASIL R. CRAMPTON. lVitness:

GRACE THOMPSON.

'Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

